


Memory Gap

by Emily_F6



Category: Skip Beat!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 12:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2309471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_F6/pseuds/Emily_F6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>19 year old Kyoko wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the last 6 years of her life. Who is this woman calling herself her best friend, this man claiming to be her father, the the handsome stranger who keeps staring at her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Waking Up

Dark. That was the first thing that Kyoko noticed. It was so dark…but there was a light far away. She tried to reach for it, but a sharp pain pierced her temple. She could hear herself whimper, and felt something touch her hand. 'What is that? What's touching my hand? I can't move it!' For a second she wanted to panic, but forced herself to calm down and listen.

"How is she?" She tried to place the male voice, but it was unfamiliar.

"Still nothing." The second man's voice was as unfamiliar as the first, but it sounded depressed.

'What's going on?' The loud thoughts seemed to echo painfully in her head.

"It wasn't your fault." There was a mix of pain and reassurance from the first voice. "The light was green." There was no response. "Dad." There was a sigh. Kyoko forced herself to make another noise, and she felt something squeeze her hand again. She had to assume that one of the voices was responsible for that. "Is she okay?"

"The doctor said that she could wake up at any time. There's nothing we can do right now. She's stable."

'I don't understand! What happened? Where am I? Who are these people?' Moaning as loudly as she could, she turned her head, using all the effort she could manage. The pain was not quite as agonizing this time, but she felt two hands hold her head still.

"Shh. Kyoko." The second voice was closer to her ear, and the first was close behind.

"What's the matter with her? Do I need to get a doctor?"

"No. She did this earlier. I'm afraid she's going to hurt herself though."

'I did it earlier? What? When? I can't remember? Why can't I remember?' She closed her eyes tighter and twitched her fingers, fighting to move closer to the distant light. 'If I can just open my eyes…maybe I'll see what's going on.'

"Come on Kyoko." The first voice was coaxing, and she felt someone stroke her forehead. "Please?"

'I'm trying!' She cried in her mind, but she couldn't form the words. She felt herself slipping back into the fog. Whimpering one last time, she gave up.

This time it was brighter, as if light was seeping through. Her fingers were now responding, and the pain in her head was only a dull throb. One of her hands was clasped tightly between two larger ones, and she squeezed it. "Kyoko?" It was one of the deep voices from before. "Hey, sweetheart. Can you wake up?" She closed her eyes tighter, then managed to squint, made out a blurry shape over her.

"Light." The word sounded strange, even to her own ears.

"Sorry." The room darkened after a second and she opened her eyes again, letting herself adjust to the dim light. The strange voice came closer again and someone touched her hand. "I'm going to call the doctor, okay."

"Mhm." She still had no idea who the man was, but a doctor sounded like a good idea.

A minute later, another strange man in a white coat came in. "Hello, Kyoko-san. I'm doctor Sato. How are you feeling?" She blinked a few times, letting herself remember how to control the muscles in her face, then opened her mouth again. Her voice came out a croak, and she coughed painfully. The strange man with blonde hair whose name she still didn't know placed a Styrofoam cup full of water against her lips, and she took a long drink.

"Thank you." She was finally able to speak. The man nodded and took her hand again. Though she felt uncomfortable with the gesture, she didn't want to offend the man who obviously knew her in some way. She turned back to the doctor. "I'm feeling…okay." The doctor smiled and nodded, coming over and lifting her free hand, took her pulse. He picked up his clipboard and scribbled on it for a moment.

"Alright, I'll need to ask you some questions if you think you're up to answering them." Kyoko nodded slightly and he pushed a button on the side of her bed, sitting her up slowly. The stranger sat down on a chair beside her, obviously overjoyed that she was awake. "Can you tell me your full name?"

"Mogami Kyoko." She said, happy that she could remember that.

He hesitated, looking over at the blonde man, who nodded a little with a strange expression. "Good." He spoke slowly. "Do you know what the date is?" She thought for a moment, but shook her head, wincing as the dull throb intensified with the movement. "Okay, where do…"

"Is she awake?" The three occupants of the room looked up at the man that barged into the room. "Oh….I'm sorry." Kyoko stared at the tall dark haired man that approached them apologetically.

"Hello Tsuruga-san." The doctor greeted with a soft smile. "You can join us if you like." The man nodded and sat down by Kyoko, smiling at her gently and taking her free hand. Blushing a little under the soft smile of this handsome stranger, Kyoko turned back toward the doctor. "Okay Kyoko-san. Can you tell me where you live?"

She frowned, the memories flooding into her brain. "I live in Kyoto, at the Fuwa Inn." She told him simply. "Oh! Where are the Fuwas?" She wondered, glancing around the room. Both of the strange men were staring at her in stunned silence, and she wondered how they could know her without knowing that. The doctor looked up at the men.

"Um…alright. Kyoko-san, how old are you?"

Immediately she knew something was wrong. She was thirteen. She knew that…but her body felt…different. The wrongness was suddenly everywhere, and she realized that she had no idea how old she was at the moment. "I…" Her eyes filled with fearful tears and she looked at the doctor. "I don't know." She whimpered. The brown-haired man squeezed her hand and caressed the back with his thumb, obviously trying to comfort her.

"It's okay, Kyoko-san." The doctor reassured her. "I believe you have amnesia. Can you tell me the last thing you remember?"

She looked down at the sheet, glancing over at the hand grasping hers. The first thing that came to mind was the overheard conversation between the two men in the room, but that wasn't helpful. Pushing that away, she thought back. "Um…coming home from school and working at the inn." She answered him. The doctor nodded grimly, then began talking to the two men in the room.

Kyoko listened for a moment, but was lost in the medical terms. Giving up, she tried to remember what she had been doing last. 'I remember talking to Fuwa-san about school…changing into my kimono…practicing the tea ceremony…and talking to Sho. Sho! Where is he? Was he hurt too? What happened?'

"We're going to keep her overnight, but she can probably go home tomorrow." She caught the last part of the conversation.

"What about her memory!" The blonde man cried. He was older than the dark haired man who kept staring at her strangely. "How's she going to be able to live her life is she can't remember anything!"

"I'm sorry, Hizuri-san. There's nothing we can do. Sometimes hearing about the past or seeing old objects or settings can jog the memory, but sometimes it doesn't help. There's no guarantee that she'll ever remember."

Kyoko met the dark haired man's eyes. His eyes were filled with longing as he stared at her. Blushing, she smiled timidly at him. His own eyes softened and he gave her a gentle, painful smile in return.

The doctor left them alone and the blonde man dropped back into his chair with an irritated groan. Kyoko watched him shyly from under her eyelashes until he caught her staring and smiled gently. "Are you hungry?" He asked, reaching out to touch her hand again. He seemed to realize something and let his hand drop.

"Um…yes." She admitted quietly.

"All right. Well, I'll get us some food, and then we can talk, okay?"

"Okay." She said softly as he left. His hand rested briefly on the top of her head as he passed her bed. She looked back over at the other man who hadn't spoken since entering the room. He was simply watching her, making her want to crawl under the covers and hide. Sure that anything would be better than silence; she decided to start a conversation. "Hello." She spoke timidly. He smiled.

"Hello." There was so much emotion in that word that it made her heart ache.

"Um…I'm sorry." She apologized sadly. "I don't know your name." She knew the doctor had said it, but she had been too shocked by his appearance to take it in.

He flinched a little. "Ah. I'm Tsuruga Ren."

"Um…are you…" She blushed as he stared at her curiously. "…my friend?" She couldn't help thinking 'boyfriend' after the way he stared at her, though she had no idea how she would have a boyfriend that wasn't Sho, but she was too embarrassed to say it. The man seemed to be contemplating something, and after making a decision, spoke up.

"Well, sort of." His voice was warm, and his eyes were filled with amusement with a hint of the previous longing. "I am your friend. We met at work. We both work for LME, an entertainment company." She took this in with a frown.

"Tsuruga-san..."

"Ren." He interrupted. "You call me Ren." There was still a strange, nostalgic pain in his eyes, as if he were protecting something he had worked very hard for.

"Oh. Um, Ren, what do I do at LME?"

"You are an actress." Her eyes widened in shock as the blonde man appeared with four sacks of food.

"Here you go, Kyoko." He pulled out a container and placed a hamburger steak in front of the girl with a wink. "Your favorite." She smiled, happy that this man seemed to know what kind of food she liked, and watched as he handed the same thing to the other man. She took a small bite as the blonde stuffed most of a sandwich into his mouth. Eyes wide, she watched him eat for a minute. "I haven't eaten in an hour!" He cried, as if this explained everything. She turned her attention back to her own food until he spoke. "What have you told her, Ren?"

"Only that we are friends that work at LME together." His eyes widened and he stared at Ren for a minute whose face was impossible to read, then nodded slowly.

"Alright. What else would you like to know, Kyoko?" The blonde man asked her.

"Um…well…I'm not really sure…who you are." She mumbled. The happy expression was wiped from his face and he stared at her sadly.

"Of course." He said in a pain filled voice. "I'm sorry. I thought that maybe…well never mind. My name is Hizuri Kuu. I'm your father."

Kyoko's eyes widened, but before she could explain that she didn't have a father, he hurried to explain. "Maybe I should start at the beginning. You are an actress, and you have played in two dramas. When I was visiting Japan, you were assigned to take care of me. Since you were having trouble with a role, I gave you an acting assignment: my son. You did so well, and I was so impressed, that I asked you to continue to call me father." Her eyes were wide, and she noticed the fact that he seemed to want to say something else.

'I'm an actress? A good one? But…I've never acted before. I've never had any interest in acting.'

"Where's Sho." The question had been bubbling under the surface, and she finally blurted it out, fear in her eyes. These men knew her, she was sure of that. They were too familiar not to. But…suddenly having a father, being told that she was an actress…tears formed in her eyes and she hugged herself fearfully. "Please? Where's Shotaro?" Kuu stopped eating and moved closer to her, as if to hold her, but she shrunk back, still scared, and he stopped. "Can't I see Shotaro? Is he okay? Was he hurt too?"

"No. He wasn't with you." Ren told her gently, moving in front of her father and touching her hand. His eyes were pleading with her, but no matter how he looked at her, she couldn't remember him. "I'm sorry. You came to Tokyo with Fuwa…but…" He took a deep breath, and then smiled, albeit painfully. "I'll get him for you, okay?" She nodded, feeling her eyes closing. "You need to try and get a little sleep. But I'll get Shotaro." He gently wiped a tear from her eyes, then helped her lean back. She watched him warily, but he only covered her with the sheet. "Are you warm enough?" She nodded.

'He seems so kind…why don't I remember him?'

"Alright. I'm going to call Shotaro. Goodnight Kyoko." His face brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"Thank you, Ren. Hizuri-san." She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the way the older man winced at the formal address. Someone squeezed her hand, and she let herself drift off.

She hadn't slept for long when someone gently nudged her awake. Opening her eyes, she was met with the tall, dark haired man from before. 'Ren.' She reminded herself. 'We're friends.'

"Hey. Did you sleep well?" She nodded, still sleepy. "Sorry. The doctor doesn't want you sleeping for more than an hour or two at a time. You have a concussion. I think the medicine for your head is making you sleepy too." She blinked a few times, trying to clear her head of the fog that encased it.

'The way he's staring at me…are we really just friends?' She didn't ask the question, sitting up a little instead. He hurried to help her, adjusting the control on the bed and helping her, his arm on her back to support her. She smiled at him gratefully, resting against the bed.

"Do you want a drink?" He offered her a cup and she smiled happily.

"Thank you." She took a sip with his help and rested her head, blushing a little when he took her hand. She opened her eyes and looked at him, surprised at the pain in his eyes. "I'm really sorry, Ren." She looked at him pleadingly. "I…" She felt tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry." He shook his head, bringing his hand up and wiping a tear from her eyes.

"It wasn't your fault, sw…" He closed his eyes. "Kyoko." He breathed her name. "Hey, I called Shotaro. He's coming by later to see you." His smile seemed a bit strained.

"What about…um…my father?" 'Wait...didn't he call my father 'Dad' earlier?' Before she voiced the question, he grinned and responded to the original one.

"He went home for a little while to rest." Once again he brushed a strand of hair away from her face and she blushed brightly. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Um….my head doesn't hurt as much…" She peeked up at him. "Ren?"

"Yes?"

"What happened...I mean...why am I here?" He sighed.

"You were with D…your father. He was driving you…somewhere…and someone ran a red light." She nodded at his somewhat cryptic statement and stared at the blanket, picking at a lose thread. She wanted to apologize…to tell this man that obviously felt…something for her, how sorry she was that she couldn't remember him. "He feels awful." Ren told her softly. "He wasn't hurt...and he feels responsible."

She flinched at his sad voice. Deciding to change to topic to learn a little more about her life, she peeked up at him once again to find him still watching her. "Um…where do I live?"

"Uh…in Tokyo." She grinned a little.

"Where?" He sighed, taking her hand.

"You live with me." He said after a long pause. Her eyes widened, and she had to fight not to pull away.

Her mouth was as dry as chalk for a second, and she coughed. "Um…why?" His eyes softened and he held up his hand, a diamond sparkling on his hand. She stared at it for a moment, wondering what his engagement ring had to do with anything. Before she could ask, he pulled a box from his pocket and slipped a matching ring onto her finger, the smooth metal fitting her finger perfectly.

"Because you're my fiancée."


	2. Friends

Kyoko felt her heart stop for a few moments as she stared at the ring on her finger. She started to shake her head, then caught the flash of pain in Ren's eyes. "I…oh…Ren…" She whispered, clenching her teeth, determined not to cry again. "I'm…I can't…" She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, but they flew open again when his hands covered hers, turning them over and taking them gently.

"It's okay. I already told you, this wasn't your fault. It's going to be okay. You'll get your memories back." He told her softly, squeezing her hands. She had to admit, she didn't hate it when he touched her hands, or when he stared into her eyes with so much love…but she felt like a fraud. She couldn't even remember this man who was obviously so in love with her.

'And what about Sho? What happened? Why am I not with Sho?' She looked sadly down at the hands holding hers so tenderly and took a deep breath. "When can I go home?" She asked in a small voice, peeking up at him. His eyes softened and he rubbed circles on her hands.

"He said they were going to keep you overnight." He reminded her softly. "Do you want anything?" She shook her head, refusing to look at him. She couldn't bear the sad, pained look in his eyes when he stared at her. She felt the bed dip a little and he let go of her hands, carefully wrapping an arm around her and kissing the top of her head, sitting beside her.

'He's so comfortable….I feel so…safe.' Sighing, she leaned her head against him and closed her eyes, succumbing to sleep once again, not wantint to think about the ring on her finger or its implications.

Ren slipped out of the bed when her breathing evened out. Carefully covering her with the blanket, he sat the bed back down and sat in the chair beside her, taking the hand with the ring and stared at the tiny diamond, smiling a little when he remembered the look on her face when he first slipped the ring on her tiny finger, the way she had thrown her arms around his neck, knocking him backwards so that they were sprawled out on the ground in front of everyone. He chuckled softly, clenching his teeth so that the tears wouldn't escape, and kissed her hand softly.

Kuu stood in the hallway, watching in amusement as Kanae stormed down the hallway, shoving nurses out of her way.

"Mo! She wakes up and no one bothers to call me!" She snarled at the blonde who gestured toward the door gallantly.

"My apologies, Kotonami-san. She just woke up a few hours ago, and Ren's been with her most of the time."

"Yea, and he just found time to call me!" She snapped, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "Mo. Where is he now?"

"I made him leave for a little while." Kuu didn't mention that he had found his son with his head on her bed, tears streaming down his face as he held her hand. He shut his eyes for a minute, remembering the way his son had thrown himself in his father's arms, sobbing softly in his shoulder. Kuu's heart clenched in pain. 'This is my fault.' He stopped the thought when Kanae's eyes softened and she reached out and took his hand.

"This wasn't your fault." She whispered. "He doesn't blame you. No one does." He nodded, forcing a smile.

"She doesn't remember anything." He warned her softly as he started to move and let her in.

"He told me." She whispered, her voice a bit strangled as she reached out and turned the door knob, slipping into the room. Kuu headed down to the cafeteria to give the girls some privacy.

From the depths of her sleep, Kyoko jumped when she heard a loud voice. "Mo! Are you still sleeping?" She opened her eyes blearily and met the dark ones of a beautiful woman with long black hair. "About time." She snapped, crossing her arms. Her eyes were softer than her words and she smiled a little when Kyoko only stared at her. "I heard you don't remember anything?" Kyoko shook her head sadly, smiling gratefully when the woman sat her bed up. "I'm Kotonami Kanae." She said simply. "I'm your best friend."

"Oh! I have a best friend!" She smiled brightly, excitement rushing though her. "I've never had a female friend before!" She cried happily. "Do we have sleepovers and eat ice cream and…" She trailed off at the thunderous expression on Kanae's face.

"Only when you force me to." She snorted, rolling her eyes at Kyoko's sheepish expression. "How are you feeling?" She asked softly, taking her friend's hand.

"Um…better." She said quietly, feeling strange at the fact that this woman who she didn't know was concerned for her. "Um…Kanae-chan?" Her friend winced but didn't comment on the name. She looked as if she was…disappointed. Kyoko shrugged it off. "Am…am I really engaged to Ren?" She whispered.

Kanae had the strangest look in her eyes as she stared at her friend, and Kyoko wondered what it was about the two of them that caused such a reaction in people. "Yes. You are. He proposed a few weeks ago. You…" She trailed off, shaking her head and squeezing her hand. "You're going to remember everything soon. You'd better." There were tears in her friends eyes, and once again Kyoko felt like a fraud. Dropping her head, she stared at the boring blanket that she had long since memorized. "Don't be sad. It isn't your fault. But…" She took a deep breath. "Kyoko, what is the last thing you remember?"

"Being thirteen." She whispered. "I worked at the Fuwa inn….I remember getting home from school and changing into a kimono. I remember….talking to Sho." There was a flash of anger in Kanae's eyes when she said that name, and she flinched. "What?"

"What?"

"People keep acting…strange when I mention Sho. What happened?" Kanae winced, obviously torn. "He's coming today." She told Kanae softly. "Ren said that he called him and asked him to come." Kanae's eyes widened.

"Ren called him!" She cried, then bit her lip at Kyoko's confused expression. "Look, the two of you had a…fight when you came to Tokyo. You don't really talk anymore."

"Why not?"

"He was a jerk to you." She told her simply.

"Sho? Why would he be mean to me?" Kanae sighed loudly.

"He just said some really mean things to you, okay? Ask him. Mo. If he's coming later…but I'm going to be here." She insisted. "I'm not going to let him lie to you." Kyoko sighed and nodded, wondering what Sho possibly could have done to make both her 'best friend' and her…she swallowed difficultly, her fiancé act so strangely. 'Then again, this may be normal for them.' She thought mournfully. 'I wouldn't know.'

The tall, lanky blonde man walked hesitantly into the room, and Kyoko's eyes lit up. "Sho-chan?" She asked incredulously, an involuntary smile turning the corners of her mouth. Kanae crossed her arms and leaned back, glaring at him.

"Eh….hey Kyoko." He mumbled uncomfortably, glancing around the room. "Are you…um…you feeling…okay?" He sighed as he met her bright eyes.

"Um…I'm feeling better, thank you. How are you? What are you doing now?"

"I'm um…I'm a singer."

"Really! That's great!" She cried happily, overjoyed for her best friend. Suddenly she was super aware of the metal band on her finger. 'Why are I engaged to a man other than Sho? I always thought I would marry him….'

"Hey, Fuwa." Her best friend snapped from the chair. "Did Ren tell you what happened?"

Sho nodded. He had never been more surprised about a phone call in his life, and had agreed out of pure guilt. "Yea…he told me."

"Kyoko wants to know why the two of you aren't friends any more." He glanced nervously from the cheery looking Kyoko and her furious best friend and sighed.

"Um…Kyoko…" He walked over to her bed, dropping into a chair, trying not to think about his relatively new found feelings for the girl. 'Tsuruga might kill me…'

Kyoko cocked her head, unsure of why her old fiend looked so uncomfortable. "Yes, Sho-chan?"

"Um…I…when I brought you with me to Tokyo…I only did it because I needed a maid to take care of me. And…" He stared at the floor, her best friend's glare keeping him honest, but unable to meet Kyoko's eyes. "I…was fooling around with my manager and I…told you that you were plain and boring and that I would never be interested in a girl like you."

Kyoko felt her lower lip quiver and bit it furiously, trying not to sniff and let him hear her sob. Kanae reached out and took her hand, her eyes still angry. "Keep going, Fuwa." She snapped.

He groaned. "I…after you started acting, I…we had a few run ins and fights." He mumbled.

"He hit you." Kanae said simply. "You made him angry one time and he hit you, and then one year on Valentines Day, he forced a kiss on you in front of everyone." Kyoko looked into her friend's eyes and realized that she was telling the truth. "That's why Ren hates him." Kanae told her dryly. "He tries to keep him away from you. That's probably why he acted strangely when you wanted to see him." Kyoko nodded slowly, her eyes focused on the blanket again. "That's all Fuwa-san. You can leave now." Contrary to the wording, it was not a request, and the musician slunk away, not wanting to cause a scene in front of the sad, confused girl in the hospital bed. Turning at the last minute, he met her eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said softly before disappearing through the door.

Kyoko heard her best friend sigh as she desperately tried to wipe her eyes. Shaking her head, she met the woman's gaze. "It's fine." She insisted. "Um…I'm just glad to know what's going on." Kanae nodded slowly, obviously not believing her but not arguing.

"Hey, you've got a lot of friends, Kyoko." Kyoko glanced up. "I know you really liked Sho…but over the last few years, you've found so many people that love you. Me, Hizuri-san and…and Ren. Not to mention Maria and Takarada-san." Kyoko cocked her head and Kanae smiled. "You'll see them soon." She assured her friend. "Also, everyone that works with you falls in love with you." She smiled, taking her hand. "Sho's a jerk. You might as well just forget about him." Her voice was soft and firm, and Kyoko had no choice but to nod.

When Kanae left, the doctor appeared, clipboard in hand, and began asking her questions again. Satisfied that she remembered everything from earlier, he removed her catheter, and uncomfortable process for the modest young girl, and helped her into a new hospital gown, situating her back into the bed. After refilling her ice water, he left her alone and told her to call if she needed anything.

Kyoko felt her heart speed up when Ren reappeared in the doorway about an hour later. He gave her a soft smile that made her heart falter, and she felt her cheeks light up. "Hey. How are you feeling?" He asked, stepping into the room.

"I'm okay." She mumbled shyly. "Um…Kanae-chan came by." She told him with a smile. "She's my best friend." He grinned with a nod.

"Mmm. I brought another one of your friends." He told her, stepping to the side and revealing a tall man with longish sandy brown hair and glasses. He smiled kindly down at her. "Kyoko, this is my manager, Yashiro Yukihito."

"Hello Kyoko-chan."

"Oh…um….it's nice to meet you, Yashiro-san." She smiled hesitantly up at him, and his smile widened as he sat beside her bed, leaving the closer chair for Ren.

"It's good to see you, Kyoko-chan."

"Did Fuwa-san come by earlier?" Ren wondered, sitting beside his friend and manager. Kyoko looked down at her hands, the diamond on her hand catching her eyes, and she twirled the ring nervously.

"Um…yea."

"How did that go?" The man's voice was guarded, and she noticed a similar expression on his manager's face.

"Um…okay. He told me what happened." She bit her lip. He reached out and caught her hand, nodding grimly. "It…it's okay. He…um…he said he was sorry." She blinked hard and felt him squeeze her hand. "Do…do we ever talk anymore?" He shook his head.

"Not really. The two of you meet occasionally, but you rarely speak to him." She nodded.

"I don't think…"

"ONEE-SAMA!" The scream made them all jump and suddenly a young blonde girl had her arms locked around Kyoko's neck, sobbing into her shoulder. Kyoko gasped as the young girl whimpered and tightened her hold on her neck. "Onee-saame." She whispered, her voice laden with pain, and Kyoko felt a slight pain in her stomach when the girl's bony knee hit her.

"Maria." A booming reprimand echoed through the room and Kyoko closed her eyes sharply, the memory invading all of her senses.

'Onee-sama!' The little blonde girl was smaller, maybe 6 or 7, but it was the same girl. 'Maria.' The name brought back a flood of memories. The little girl staring sadly at the ground. The girl in a frilly dress, holding a large doll of a man and beaming up at her. Maria grinning up at her, laughing at something.

Kyoko opened her eyes when the little girl shifted off of her. "I'm sorry, Onee-sama." She whispered sadly, then started to pull away. Kyoko could see a tall formidable looking man with soft eyes standing behind the bed, and she tightened her hold on the girl, shaking her head.

"It's okay, Maria-chan." She smiled softly, hugging her. "It's okay. I'm okay." Everyone watched with wide eyes as the girl put her face in Kyoko's shoulder and cried while Kyoko held her, a gentle expression on her face. When the little girl finally pulled away, Kyoko placed her hand on her stomach with a wince.

"Did I hurt you?" The little girl whimpered.

"No. It's fine, Maria-chan. I think you just hit my stomach with your knee. I'm fine." Ren clenched his jaw and looked away, and Yashiro placed a hand on his shoulder. The tall, mustached man stepped forward.

"Hello Mogami-san. Are you sure you're feeling okay?" He stepped forward and shifted the little girl so that she was sitting beside Kyoko rather than on top of her.

"I'm feeling better. But…um…I sort of remember Maria-chan…but…" She glanced up at him sheepishly but he was smiling kindly.

"I'm Takarada Lory. I'm the President at LME, the company you work for, and Maria's grandfather."

"Oh. It's nice to meet you." She smiled a little and he nodded, bowing his head a bit.

"It's a good sign that you can remember Maria, even if it's just a little, but don't try and force yourself." He warned softly, siting in a chair on the other side of the bed. She nodded, smiling when Maria rested her head on her shoulder.

When Maria and Lory finally left, Yashiro tagging along, Ren took her hand again, hoping it didn't make her uncomfortable. She gave him a faint smile and squeezed a little. "Are you sure she didn't hurt you? Is your stomach okay?" She nodded, shifting in bed a little.

"Um…actually…I need to go to the bathroom." She blushed brightly and he nodded, standing.

"Do you think you can stand up?" She moved her legs over the side of the bed and he helped her, his hand on her arm, and she carefully stood, with his arms taking most of her weight. She took a hesitant step forward and sighed as she clung to him, hating how her legs barely supported her weight. "It will be a while before you're able to walk on your own." He told her gently, placing an arm around her waist and assisting her to the small bathroom on the side of the room. They entered the bathroom slowly, her face a soft red as she reached out and gripped the sink, holding herself up. For a second, she was afraid he would try and help her further, but he stepped back, making sure she was able to hold herself up, then shut the door.

After using the bathroom and washing her hands, she opened the door and he helped her back into bed, covering her up and sitting beside her once again, his hand slipping into her own once again. "Are…are you sure your stomach is okay?" She looked up at him with her head cocked. "I want to make sure Maria didn't hurt you. I know she's a little…exuberant sometimes." She smiled.

"Oh. No I'm fine. I don't mind." Her eyes softened and he chuckled.

"You always were good with her." He told her softly.

"Can…can you tell me how I know her?" She wondered. He thought for a moment.

"Well, a little couldn't hurt." He nodded agreeably. Starting with her first day at LME, he began telling her the story, careful not to give away too many details and overwhelm her, and when she started to drift to sleep, he tucked her in and kissed her forehead, halting his story.

This time she slept through the night, minus the occasional check in by a doctor or nurse. Ren had gone home at her doctor's insistence, sometime around midnight. Kuu arrived early in the morning and sat beside her until she awoke around seven.

"Good morning sweetheart." He brushed some hair out of her forehead and she smiled at the now somewhat familiar man.

"Hello…Hizuri-san." He ruffled her hair.

"I thought I told you that you call me father."

"Um…" She blushed and he chuckled softly. "Sorry…Father." She mumbled. He pulled a tray full of hospital food over and lifted the cover, revealing an American style breakfast of biscuits and sausage. She nibbled dubiously and he laughed at her expression.

"Want me to get you something else?" He asked softly.

"Um…no! I can't waste…" Her eyes widened when her breakfast was suddenly gone, quickly disappearing down his throat. "Um…"

"There. Now you didn't waste it." He grinned brightly. "Let me go get you something else. The doctor said that he'll be letting you go soon, and Ren's on his way."


	3. Home

Ren arrived in time to see Kyoko finish off a small plate of food while his father was still scarfing his own down. "Hello Hizuri-san. Kyoko." She smiled at him a little hesitantly as she swallowed.

"Hello Ren." She spoke softly as she always did while speaking to him, hesitantly as if not sure how to deal with him. He smiled and sat beside her, looking at her plate.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast?" Her smile widened and she nodded happily.

"It was very good. Father went out and got me something. Um…did you eat already?" He shook his head, holding up a cup of coffee.

"No, I'm not hungry."

"But…you have to eat something." She insisted softly. "You have to take care of your body, and that means eating three meals a day…" Kuu chuckled and Ren sighed, a nostalgic smile on his face.

"I'll get something at home." He assured her simply. Not wanting to argue with him, she nodded, mostly placated.

"Has the doctor given his okay for you to come home?" He wondered.

"Not yet. He's waiting for the results of some tests…I'm not really sure what for." He nodded and took her plate, putting it on the table out of her way. As they waited for the doctor, he helped her to the bathroom again, Kuu went out in search of more food, and they chatted for a little while.

"What kind of place do we live in?" She wondered after he had helped her back into the bed. She was better able to walk and move around, but still unable to walk on her own completely, so she was grateful for his help, even if she was a little embarrassed when he closed the back of her gown and averted his eyes.

"I have a penthouse apartment." He told her with a smile. "You can stay in guest room if that will make you more comfortable."

"Um…where did I stay?" She mumbled, her face red.

"In my room." He told her simply, smiling a little when she blushed and changed the topic abruptly.

"What about work?"

"Well, I've had my schedule cleared for a little while so I'll probably go back in a week or so. You just finished a season of one of your dramas and you were considering working on a movie, but since the accident you're schedule has been cleared for at least another month. If you want to go back to work sooner, you'll have to be cleared by the doctor and Lory." She listened solemnly.

"Um…Ren…what if…what if I can't act anymore?" He looked up in surprise as if the thought had never occurred to him.

"What? Why wouldn't you be able to?"

"If I can't remember how…" She trailed off. "Or…what if I don't want to?" She ignored his incredulous expression, focusing on the wall in front of her as he sat next to her in silence.

"We can talk about it later." He said simply. "When you're feeling better. You don't have to worry about that now." She nodded a little.

'I don't want to be an actress.' She thought as he sipped his coffee. 'I don't know how to act and I'll probably just make an idiot of myself. But…what can I do? Do I have a contract at LME? I'll have to talk to Takarada-san soon and ask him. But will Ren be angry if I quit?' She wanted to sigh. 'I can't even remember going to high school…did I? I lived here with Sho for a while apparently…did I attend high school here? Or did I just work? When did I start at LME?' The barrage of questions made her head ache so she shut her eyes and lay back against the pillows, trying to clear her mind.

"Are you okay?" He mumbled, leaning forward and stroking her cheek.

"I'm fine." She told him simply, not wanting to explain that the more she learned about her life in Tokyo, the more questions she had.

The doctor arrived an hour later and told her that she was clear to go, but warned Ren that she needed to be watched for a few days to make sure she didn't relapse. After he gave Ren a list of things to look out for, Ren brought out a bag and placed it on her bed. "Here. I brought you a change of clothes from home."

"Oh. Thank you." She smiled up at him, blushing when he leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"Of course. I'll wait outside. Do you need me to get someone to help you change?" She blushed brightly but nodded.

"Please. I don't think I can by myself." He nodded and, after a passing touch to her cheek, left the room. A few minutes later, a young woman entered the room and shut the door.

"Need some help?"

"Please."

"Of course." She pulled out the girl's underwear and supported her as she pulled them on, the helped her into her skirt. She then helped her fasten her bra and pulled her top over Kyoko's head. "There you go." She smiled and handed the girl a brush as well. Kyoko ran it through her hair, hoping that she didn't look awful. Ren walked up behind her and took the brush from her hand, running it through her hair and sitting behind her on the bed.

"You look beautiful." He whispered in her ear, making her shiver in surprise and jerk forward. She was held in place by his strong hand around her torso and he chuckled softly in her ear. "Sorry. I wasn't trying to scare you." She blushed and sat still as he brushed her hair. His hand on her torso pulled her back for a second and he buried his nose in her hair. Not wanting to hurt his feelings, she relaxed a little against him, a tear falling from her eye as he took a deep, shuddering breath and then pulled away, placing the brush back in the bag. She pretended not to notice when he hurriedly wiped at his eyes.

The doctor brought in a wheel chair and before Kyoko could move to sit in it, Ren slipped his arms under her knees and around her back, her head suddenly resting on his shoulder, and placed her in the chair. She blushed brightly but didn't protest, and he put his hands on the back of her chair and pushed her down the hallway. She blinked when the light burned her eyes and jumped a little when sunglasses were slipped onto her face. She smiled up at Ren gratefully and found him looking at her fondly. When they reached his car, he lifted her out of the chair and sat her into the passenger seat. Making sure she was inside, he shut the door firmly and climbed into the driver's seat, thanking the doctor and then leaning over to fasten her seat belt. Kuu drove away in his rental car and promised to see them later.

Kyoko watched in silence as the scenery rushed back, her heart jumping a little every time they drove through an intersection. Taking a deep breath and forcing herself to calm down, she glanced over at Ren who, coincidentally, was glancing at her as well. "Everything okay?"

"Mmhm." She gave him a weak smile and he took her hand, a gesture that felt familiar and safe now, squeezing her hand. She turned her attention back to the road in front of them and watched the shops and apartments pass by. Finally they pulled into an underground parking lot and he jumped out of the car and hurried to help her. Opening the door, he scooped her into his arms, making her squeak. He laughed softly when she put her arms around his neck.

"I've got you." He assured her softly, grabbing her bag and shifting her in his arms. Careful not to bump her head or legs on anything, he walked over to the elevator and managed to press the button for the top floor and they waited in somewhat awkward silence.

"Um…thank you." She said softly. He smiled down at her.

"Of course." Looking into his eyes, she realized that he was looking at her as if he wanted something desperately. She blushed a little, resting her head against his shoulder, and she felt him sigh a little. Making a quick decision, she stretched his neck and kissed his cheek lightly. He looked down, a bit startled, but his gentle smile was more than enough of a reward for her embarrassment.

Ren slid the key card into the slot in the door, carefully setting Kyoko on her feet and continuing to support her, and then pushed the door open. Kyoko's jaw dropped as they stepped into his living room. 'Oh…wow! Does he just live here? This place is huge! No…wait…I live here too? Are we rich? He said that he was an actor….and so am I…but surely he makes all the money.' He helped her sit down and removed her shoes, then lifted her and placed her on the sofa.

"Are you hungry?" He wondered.

"No…I already ate." She smiled awkwardly. "But…um…you should eat something." He nodded, seeming resigned, and turned toward the kitchen. Suddenly he stopped and grinned over at her boyishly.

"Would you like to see the rest of the house?"

For some reason, those words struck a cord in her. Unable to place the memory, she only nodded and took his hand, standing slowly. "Well, you've seen the living room. Over here is the kitchen." He led her into the giant room and grinned at her stunned reaction. "You love cooking in here." He informed her with a soft laugh.

She closed her eyes briefly and froze when she looked at the kitchen floor. The memory flashed in her mind, invading all of her senses. She was lying on the kitchen floor wearing a school uniform. He was lying on top of her, crushing her against the floor. A hand touched her cheek and ran a thumb over her lip. 'Do you have any experience in kissing?'

She blinked when she felt him squeeze her waist. "You okay?"

"Yea…sorry." He nodded slowly and they continued the tour, which was relatively uneventful until she reached his bedroom.

"Oh…my…god!" She cried. "This bed is huge! Do you just sleep in it?" She froze and blushed, placing her hand over her mouth when he laughed loudly. He watched her face and neck turn red, bringing his laughter under control, and tugged her gently.

"Yes, that's pretty much all I do in it." She blushed brighter. "I'll show you the guest room."

Kyoko lay back on the bed, her eyes closing. The medicine for her head was making her tired, and she relaxed in the dark. Slowly she drifted into sleep, with the sounds of Ren's movements in the kitchen a soothing reminder of his presence.

Her dream was more fragments of memories than a logical sequence. A young woman with short black hair and a horrible scar glared at a young blonde woman speaking with a young man in a suit. A beautiful school girl with short orange hair, surrounded by similarly dressed girls, smirked at another young girl who was watching her warily. A girl with short black hair lay on a bed, a tall, handsome man climbing over her and kissing her neck, his fingers deftly unbuttoning her blouse. The feeling of lips on hers.

She jerked awake, her face on fire. 'Was that…was that woman me? In bed with…' She blushed even brighter, burying her face in her hands. 'Who were those other girls? Did I just make them up?'

Kyoko stood slowly and walked into the living room, managing by holding on to the wall and furniture as she made her way to the sofa. Ren looked up from a script and smiled gently. "Hey." He stood and helped her to sit down, his arm falling naturally around her shoulder and she found that she fit perfectly against his side, her head resting on his shoulder.

Ren felt his heart leap when she lie her head against him, sitting so naturally against him like she usually did. "Did you sleep okay?" He asked, wishing that he could pretend, just for a second, that everything was normal.

"Um…yea." There was a bit of hesitation in her voice and he turned and squeezed her shoulder. He didn't want to ask if she remembered anything, but he was dying to know.

"I dreamed about a girl with a scar." She told him softly. "And…a school girl…" He nodded thoughtfully, a soft smile on his face. He extracted himself from the sofa and knelt down, looking through DVD's in his TV table. Finally finding what he was looking for, he pulled out two cases, then sat back down on the sofa beside her. She looked at the two cases, one of which said "Dark Moon, Season 1" and the other said "Box R, Season 1." She looked up at him questioningly for a moment and he opened the Dark Moon case, making her gasp. "Her!" She cried. "And…and him! And her too!" The three main characters were on the cover of the insert she was pointing to and staring at him. Quickly, she opened the Box R case and found the school girls in there as well. "Were these my favorite TV shows or something?" He grinned a little.

"Kyoko, you were in them." Her eyes widened. "This." He pointed to the girl with the scar. "Is Mio. And this is Natsu. Both were characters you played." She stared at him wide-eyed. "And this, this is me." She looked down at the man from her dream and her mouth dropped open. "Do you want to watch it?" Hesitantly, she nodded, and he slipped the first DVD from Dark Moon into the player, setting back on the couch and covering her with a throw as the credits started.

As the episode played, he stole hopeful glances at her, but she only watched the screen openmouthed. Finally, she met his eyes and whispered. "Is…is that really me?" He smiled softly, his hope fading away and replaced with a dull pain.

"Yes. Of course. I told you, you're a great actress." She frowned a little and looked back at the screen, watching the characters intently.

Ren sat in his bedroom, hands resting on his knees. She was still in the living room, watching the entire first season of Dark Moon. 'She still doesn't remember anything…' The thought, though not unexpected, was more and more painful every time he thought it. 'What if…" He closed his eyes. "If she never regains her memories…I'll never leave her. No matter what it takes, I will do anything to help her remember.'

Kyoko sighed as the last episode ended. 'I can't believe I actually…acted. In a TV show…no…two TV shows. How did I become an actress? Why did I do it? Did it have anything to do with Ren? I just have so many questions….but I don't know how to ask him.' Occasionally little flashes of memory would come to her; herself walking through a lobby, having her makeup done…lying under Ren as he kissed her. That one always made her blush and shake it away. 'He said I use to sleep in his bed…have we…well if I live with him, I guess so.' She blushed even brighter.

Ren stepped out of his bedroom, taking a deep breath and brushing hair out of his now dry face. Following his nose, he entered the kitchen where he found Kyoko scooping something into a plate, her hand gripping the counter. Her legs seemed to be barely holding her up, but she was doing better. "Hmm. That looks good."

"Thank you." She smiled up at him shyly. "I made you some too." He smiled gratefully and spooned some food onto his plate, then helped her back into the living room. "You didn't have to cook." He told her kindly. "I would have picked something up…or cooked something." He took a bite and closed his eyes. "Mmmm." He said quietly. She blushed at the content smile on his mouth as he savored her cooking. "You always were a fantastic cook." Her blush brightened and she looked away. He chuckled softly. "Thank you, but you shouldn't be walking around." He reminded her with a gently scolding look. She sighed.

"But if I don't walk around, how am I going to get my strength back?" She wondered. He smiled at the typical Kyoko response, nostalgia taking over for a second.

"You do need to walk around, but not by yourself, just in case you fall or hurt yourself." She nodded glumly but he took her hand. "Hey, it's fine. Just ask me for help next time."

After eating, Ren and Kyoko went back to watching TV, this time switching to Box R. She watched in barely concealed amazement as she watched herself saunter around the set, bullying the other girls and ordering them around. His arm wrapped around her made her relax, and she leaned against his chest, listening to his steady breathing.

'I love you.' He didn't say it. He didn't dare. He had no idea what her attitude toward love…or himself at the moment. 'It's just like when she was 17 again. I have to go slowly and gain her trust.' He leaned over and kissed the top of her head, wishing he could do more, but knowing that the results couldn't be good. 'I just have to wait and hope that she gets her memories back…all of them.' He sighed, closing his eyes, then turned back to the screen.


	4. Something

One week. Ren stared up at his ceiling sadly, the sharp pain in his heart receding a little as he focused on counting the days. Ten days since the accident. Ten days since his father called him, sobbing, begging his forgiveness. He had been on set.

Yashiro answered his phone. That was the first sign that something was wrong. He had given Yashiro strict instructions that he was only to answer Ren's phone if he was on set for two people; Kuu or Kyoko. Yashiro's eyes widened and his jaw clenched as the other person spoke. Ren had paused in his conversation with his costar, watching his manager anxiously, and the director had asked him if anything was wrong. Ren had been unable to respond as the blood drained from Yashiro's face. Pushing past his costars, he had nearly run up to his manager who handed him the phone wish shaking hands.

"Kuon!" His father's voice was filled with anguish and Ren immediately left the set, slamming his dressing room door closed. "Kuon I'm so sorry." There was a soft sob. "Oh god Kuon…I'm so sorry. I…I didn't…"

"Dad! What's wrong?" Kuon cried into the phone, his heart clenching in terror.

"I…the light…it was green Kuon! I swear!"

Ren opened his eyes and shoved the rest of that conversation away. He felt his eyes grow wet and took a deep breath.

One week. 7 days since she woke up. 6 since she came home. Still no progress.

Kyoko gasped as she jerked awake, the image of the silver haired man with purple eyes invading her brain. Taking a deep breath, she tried to push the nightmare away. She closed her eyes again, lying back down. Every night it was the same, strange, disconnected images appeared in random sequences, not jogging her memory but still managing to give her some brief hope. It was like she could see pieces of someone else's life, their friends and people they knew, but three were no emotions, not memories of actual events or feelings.

Lonely. For some reason, her bed felt huge and she felt cold and alone. Briefly the thought of crawling into bed with Ren entered her mind. 'No. I'd just wake him up. He's probably sleeping.' For the last few days, Ren had been going to work for a few hours during the day, and more and more she found herself trying to ignore him. Every time he looked at her, every time they were separated for even a few hours, she could see it in his eyes; hope and desperation. He so obviously longed for her to remember everything, to tell him that she loved him. She couldn't take it, the disappointment on his face whenever no revelations were had, when no memories were recovered.

Kyoko woke early that morning, the sunlight barely peeking through her window. Sitting up was now painless, and walking around by herself was much easier except for a residual soreness in her lower back, which faded every day. She stretched and stood, lifting her arms high above her head, then headed to the shower. Stepping under the hot steam, she closed her eyes and focused on the image of Ren. 'Okay, I was in love with him…right? Why? What is it about him? Isn't there something that I can remember that will trigger something?' It wasn't that she didn't like Ren. She did. Very much. He was kind and comfortable and very sweet to her. 'But…I can't remember…something. There's something else!' She groaned and continued with her shower, giving up. No matter how hard she concentrated, all she succeeded in doing was giving herself a headache, and when she had a headache she had to lie down and then Ren was worried and then she felt twice as bad.

Kyoko placed a plate of food in front of Ren who greeted her with a half hopeful smile. She returned the greeting and sat beside him, eating slowly. "So…why don't you come to work with me today?" Ren wondered, glancing at her. She hadn't left the apartment since she left the hospital, and it was starting to worry him. 'Maybe if she sees LME…and the people, then se will remember something.

"Um…if you want me to." She mumbled, staring at her food as she pushed it around her plate. His eyebrows furrowed, and he reached over and touched her arm.

"You feeling okay?" She nodded, giving him her best reassuring smile, trying to hide her frustration and irritation with herself.

'Why can't I remember anything? All these people and events, but none of it means anything!'

Ren opened Kyoko's passenger door, helping her out of the car, then shut it firmly. They made their way through the side entrance of LME and were startled when they were greeted by giant elephants and a man dressed in a turban. "Kyoko!" The President's booming voice greeted them happily as he leapt down from the elephant's back. "It's so good to see you up and about! How are you feeling?" Kyoko smiled and gave a deep bow.

"I'm feeling better, thank you!" He grinned down at her warmly.

"Good. Are you here to visit?" He asked kindly. She nodded and he held out a hand. "Would you like a tour of LME?" She looked up at the elephants nervously, as did Ren.

"Um…on an elephant?"

"Of course!" Ren laughed softly and took her head.

"Go ahead. I have to go to the set. I'll pick you up later. Do you have your phone?" She nodded. "Good. I'll call you when I get off."

Kyoko was delivered, via elephant, to the Love Me room after the tour where Kanae was waiting for her with a smile. "Hey." She waited as Kyoko walked calmly up to her, a somewhat sad look on her face.

"Hi Kanae. How are you?"

Kanae sighed. "I'm fine. Come on in. This is the Love Me room." Kyoko looked around in shock at the sickeningly pink room and the pair of pink coveralls on a bench. "These are out Love Me uniforms. The President formed it just for you." Kyoko's eyes widened as they sat on a bench. "When you auditioned, it was obviously that you hated love so he made up this section where you had to do jobs for others and get points in your notebook." Kanae held up a heart shaped notebook and Kyoko giggled as she flipped through it, reading the pink stamps. "If you graduated, he agreed to back your debut."

"So…did I graduate?" Kanae smirked.

"Yepp. When you started dating Ren, he let you graduate, but you still hung out with us."

"Us?"

Another girl with short cropped black hair appeared. "Kyoko-san!" She cried with a smile. "How are you?"

"Um…I'm okay…"

"Hey. I'm Amamiya Chiori." The girl smiled, holding out a hand and bowing a little. "We work together on Box R."

"Oh. Nice to meet you Amamiya-san." Kyoko bowed happily.

"Any luck?" Ren glanced up at his manager and shook his head sadly. "Is she doing okay?"

"She's on a tour of LME today."

"Do you think that will help her remember?"

"I have no idea." He mumbled. Yashiro placed his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Ren." He said quietly. Ren gave a half smile and nodded his thanks. "She'll remember, Ren. Just give her time."

Three weeks. It had been three weeks since she got back from the hospital, two since her visit to LME. Kyoko went with him occasionally to LME, but rarely did more than talk to Kanae and Chiori or watch him film. It was obvious when she watched him working that she thought he was amazing, which was nice, but…it wasn't enough. 'She still doesn't remember.' He wanted to scream in frustration. Every day that passed chipped away at his hope more and more, and the sharp pain in his heart returned with a vengeance. His heart felt…empty. 'If she could just remember…' He pushed it away. He couldn't bear thinking about that. Not by himself. He needed her, needed his other half back.

Kyoko was staring at the television, watching herself saunter through a classroom, when Ren dropped something in her lap, sitting next to her. She glanced down at the small books in her lap in surprise.

"Um…Ren?"

"Hey. I got these for you today. From Sawara-san." It had been one of the days where she had stayed home instead of going to work with him, and he had dropped by LME. "I thought you might like to look at your new offers and think about what you want to do next." His smile was soft as he looked at her. "Hizuri-san is coming by later and maybe you can talk to him about it." Kyoko looked down at the scripts almost fearfully, shaking her head a little. "Kyoko? What's wrong?"

"I…Ren." She looked up at him. "I can't." He looked as if she'd slapped him. "I…don't want to act anymore. I can't. I don't know how. I'm not even interesting in acting." He flinched.

'I want to create a new Kyoko Mogami.' The words echoed in his head. 'Who is she? Who is this girl? I feel like I've lost her.' "You love acting." He whispered, looking into her eyes desperately. "Just try it. Please? Just look them over and…" She was shaking her head, her eyes tightly shut.

"No! I don't want to. I don't know how to act. I…" She opened her eyes met his tortured ones.

"Kyoko, if you just try it…"

"No." His eyes hardened and he stood.

"Do you even want to remember?" He snapped, glaring down at her. She stood up and reached for his arm. "You don't get it! You love acting!" He yelled, his eyes desperate and furious. "It's your life!"

"Ren!" She reached out for his arm, catching his sleeve, trying to tell him how scared and confused she was, but he jerked away.

Weeks of frustration and pain seemed to crash down on him as he glared at her. "Just forget it." He snatched the scripts from the couch, ignoring the tears in her eyes.

"Ren! Please. I'll read them!" She hadn't seen him angry before, and it tore at her heart in a way she never would have expected. "I'm sorry." She caught his sleeve again, but he jerked away.

"Quit!" He snarled. "I don't even know you!" The doorknob turned and Kuu slipped into the room, his eyes widening as he slipped the keycard into his pocket, but both of the young adults ignored him.

"I'm Kyoko." She whispered, staring up him. He shook his head, his eyes cold and hard.

"No. I know Kyoko, and you aren't her." He stormed away and she heard his bedroom door slam. A sob caught in her throat and she brought a hand up to her mouth, trying to hold it in. Kuu walked over, catching her arm gently.

"Sweetheart." He spoke softly, his eyes pained, but she pulled away, running into her own bedroom and shutting the door.

Kyoko grabbed her purse, thoughts racing through her mind. "I have to get out of here." She mumbled, swallowing her tears. She refused to let the tears fall as she picked up her purse from the floor, hands shaking. Sitting it on the bed, she looked around the room for a bag. 'I'll just pack some clothes and leave. I'm not doing anything but hurting him by staying here.' She turned and knocked her purse on the floor with her shaking hands and sunk to her knees, picking up her things as tears finally poured from her eyes. Covering her face, she sobbed.

'He broke my heart.' She was in the Darumaya, a name that came to her out of nowhere. She had needed a place to stay, and the Okami-san had kindly offered her their spare room upstairs. It was tiny, but she had been so grateful.

She sobbed again, the feelings from that day mingling with her sorrow over Ren. She had been taking him lunch. He had called her plain and boring. She smiled through her tears, remembering throwing the food at him in her fury, her heated words, he desperation to beat him by becoming an actress.

She tried desperately to stop her tears and suddenly she was by the stream in Kyoto. 'I never forgot this.' She realized with a slight smile. 'Corn.' A young blonde boy smiled at her.

"I'm Kyoko-chan. What's your name, Fairy-san?"

"Heh. Nice to meet you Kyoko-chan. I'm Corn."

Corn. The word bounced around in her hear urgently. Reaching through her possessions, she opened a tiny purse and pulled the little rock out.

"Please don't leave me!"

"Hold out your hand."

"My name. I have to tell you my name." Her head throbbed as she saw him in front of her, his dark brown eyes meeting hers as he took her hands.

"It doesn't matter." Her own soft voice, the feel of his lips on her cheek.

"It's Corn." She gasped and clenched the little rock in her hands, sobbing again.

'Kuon.' She opened her eyes wide, staring at the little corn stone. 'My Corn. My Kuon. Father's son.' As if everything hinged on that one detail, the memories flooded back. Her audition. 'Mio. Natsu. Ren. Ren.' She smiled through her tears, saying it again and again. "Kuon. Ren. How could I forget Ren?" She whispered, remembering the heartbroken way he had stared at her for the last few weeks, the way he had tried to touch her, to hold her hand every chance he got.

The accident. Reality crashed back down upon her as her hand wrapped around her stomach, terror and panic flooding her. "No." She whispered the word. 'Father was going to drive me to the hospital. It was my first check up. I was feeling sick every morning and…the test. It was positive.' The fog cleared the rest of the way, the thrill she felt when she looked at the little stick with the pink plus sign, the excitement when she called Kanae, the whispered conversation with her father. "I want to surprise him. I'll give him a picture from the ultrasound."

Placing her hands over her mouth she sobbed, pain like she had never felt wracking her body and clenching her heart.

The doorknob turned but she couldn't manage to turn around and see who it was. "Oh…Kyoko." Kuon's voice seemed to wrap around her and hold her as his footsteps came over. "Oh…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. This isn't your fault." He knelt beside her and placed a hand on her back. "Oh Kyoko." His voice was mournful as he rubbed her back, and she couldn't hold back any longer. Turning, she threw herself in his arms. Startled, he caught her.  
"Kuon." She whimpered into his neck. She could almost feel his relief as she sagged against her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "I'm sorry. I'm so…so sorry." She sobbed. He shook his head, stroking her hair.

"It wasn't your fault."

"I…I wanted to surprise you." Tears poured from her eyes as she met his pained eyes. "The baby." She whispered. He shook his head, touching her cheek. She remembered the accidently clearly, the sudden pain in her stomach, the scream that had torn from her throat before she lost consciousness, the sureness that it wasn't going to be okay. But now, seeing his devastated face as he shook his head, she felt the pain all over again. "It was going to be a surprise." He nodded, rubbing her back.

"I know." He whispered. "It's going to be okay, sweetie." The pain that he had been dealing with for weeks was now hitting her afresh, and he wasn't surprised at her reaction. He had been hoping that she would remember that part slowly, but it seemed to have hit her all at once.

"I wanted to surprise you." She whispered it over and over as he rocked her, kissing her forehead.

He had rushed to the hospital, running every red light in Tokyo to get there. His father had been sobbing, his face in his hands, when Ren arrived. "Dad!"

"I'm so sorry. She was…the light was green!" Ren nodded, his hand on his father's back. "I swear, it was green!"

"Okay. Okay. How is she?"

"She…wanted to surprise you." His father whispered in agony. Ren sat beside his father, hand on his shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"She…she was pregnant. She wanted to surprise you. I was taking her to her first appointment." He placed his head in his hands, choking on a sob at his son's shocked expression. "She lost the baby. I'm so sorry."

Ren stood with Kyoko in his arms, feeling her sob against his neck as he sat down on the bed, leaning back as he held her, tears streaming down his face as he rocked her. Kuu appeared in the doorway, his face haggard as he watched his children mourn their child.


	5. Together

Kuu placed his head in his hands as he sat at his son's kitchen table. He could still hear Kyoko's sobs from the kitchen and sighed, each one piercing his heart. His phone vibrated in his pocket and, taking a deep breath, he checked the screen and opened it. "Hey Boss." He mumbled.

"Kuu? What's wrong?" Lory's voice was immediately worried. "I thought you were going to Kuon's. Is Kyoko okay?"

"She remembers." He said softly, stunning Lory into silence.

Lory was one of the few people told the whole story behind the trip the day of the accident, along with Yashiro and Kuon. Maria was, of course, kept in the dark, as were all of Kyoko's coworkers. Sighing, Lory rested his chin in his hand. "Do I need to ask how she's taking it?"

"No." Kuu mumbled.

"Is she going to be okay?" Kuu glanced back at the bedroom. Sometime within the last few minutes, the sobbing had stopped.

"At some point, I hope. She's with Kuon."

"Good."

Kuon continued to rub her back as her sobs faced, but tears continued to fall from her eyes, soaking his shirt at the shoulder and neck. He shifted a little, holding her waist to move her to his side, turning a little so that he could hold her. Taking a deep, shuddering breath she turned and laid her head on his chest. He reached out and tilted her head upward, carefully wiping the tears from her cheeks. He leaned over and kissed her temple, rubbing circles in her back with his thumb. She swallowed as her breathing evened out and she tucked her legs under her, leaning forward and kissing him softly on the mouth. "I love you." He whispered, hugging her again. For the first time in weeks, he felt like he was able to breath as he whispered it again. "I love you so much."

"I love you too Corn." He wiped her cheek again as she moved closer. "I'm so sorry." His eyes softened.

"No. This wasn't your fault."

"How could I forget you?" She mumbled, resting her head in the crook her his neck.

"It wasn't your fault." He repeated firmly, taking her hand. Gently removing the little rock from her hands, he placed it on the nightstand.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Two guys ran a red light." He said softly, his hand moving her stomach and then wrapping around her. "They were speeding. Dad didn't see them until they hit the passenger side. The driver was drunk." She could hear barely contained fury in his voice despite his gentle hands on her.

"What happened to them?" She had to ask.

"The driver died instantly. The passenger is still in the hospital."

"Is he okay?" Ren sighed, unable to believe that she was asking this.

"I spoke to him." She looked up in surprise. "He wouldn't stop apologizing." She nodded a little, the surreal feeling still surrounding her. Unconsciously her hand held her stomach, another tear falling from her eye. His hand covered her own and he interlinked their fingers.

"Is Father okay?"

"He wasn't hurt."

Kuu closed his eyes as he hung up the phone, unable to stop remembering. He had been chatting with her, coming up with names for the baby, debating on if it was a boy or a girl, and planning on how he would tell his wife who was on location in New York working on a photo shoot. Looking up, he had seen the bright green light and pressed the gas pedal, missing the blue car shooting through the intersection. He hadn't even glanced over until the loud crash of metal assaulted his ears. As their car slid across the road, shoved by the one driven by the two young men, he had thought of nothing but the light. 'It was green!' When they finally came to a halt, he had heard her scream, looking over just in time to see her clutch her stomach and slump over in the seat. After that it was a blur with snatches of clarity. Blood. So much blood. The feel of the seat belt as he tried to unclip it with shaking hands. Her tiny frame limp in his arms as he tried to pull her out of the wreckage without hurting her. The sirens.

He jerked out of his horrible day dream when tiny hands wrapped around his own. Looking up slowly, he met his little girl's huge red rimmed brown eyes. "Sweetheart." He whispered, squeezing her hands. "I'm so…" She shook her head, letting his hands go and, opening her arms, wrapping them around his neck.

"No." She whispered into his neck. He wrapped his arms around her, his hot tears running down her neck. "It wasn't your fault, Father."

Two days later, Lory looked up as the young woman entered the office. Jumping out of his desk chair, he walked over to her with open arms and held her for a moment. She backed away with a small smile and bowed. "I'm so sorry, Kyoko." He said softly. She nodded.

"Thank you." She mumbled.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he gestured toward a sofa. She sat down and he took a seat across from her.

"I'm okay. I have an appointment later today for a check up." He nodded.

"Do you need a ride?"

"No. Kuon is going to take me after he finishes up." She took a deep breath. "Um…I actually wanted to talk about getting back to work." Lory grinned at her predictable behavior.

"Of course. Kuon told me that you would probably come over and try to get me to let you come back without the doctor's approval." She blushed a little and looked at the ground. While Kuon had tried to get her to look over scripts and maybe regain her memory through her love of acting, he had made it abundantly clear that she was not to go back to work without the doctor saying she was healthy enough to do so. "He instructed me that under no circumstances was I to say yes." She sighed.

Kanae glanced up from her huge stack of paperwork to the orange haired girl standing in the doorway. Sighing a little, she stood. About to ask what the girl wanted, her eyes widened when the girl slammed into her. "Moko-san!" She cried. Shocked, Kanae acted on instinct and shoved her away, throwing her onto the floor.

"Mo!" She snapped….then froze.

Kyoko stared in confusion up at her frozen friend, but before she could speak the black haired woman threw her arms around her. "Mo Kyoko." She mumbled, squeezing hard. "You idiot." Kyoko giggled softly and held her friend. A soft chuckle sent a shiver through her body as her friend glanced up.

"I should have looked here first." Ren mused as he stepped into the room, taking in the sight of Kyoko and Kanae hugging each other on the floor. Kanae blushed softly and pulled away.

"Mo. I can't believe you forgot about me." She shoved the grinning girl away gently and climbed to her feet, reaching out her hand to help Kyoko up. Ren strolled over and took Kyoko's hand.

"You ready?" She nodded.

"I just wanted to stop by and say hello." Kanae nodded, then reached out and took Kyoko's free hand, taking a deep breath, then looked at the both of them, meeting their eyes with a serious expression.

"I'm so sorry." She spoke softly, her eyes gentle. Kyoko squeezed her hand and Ren smiled softly.

"Thank you." He said quietly, knowing that only Lory and the security team could see the security tapes in the room, but he still didn't want to chance anyone overhearing. "We'd better get going." He tugged Kyoko's hand gently and Kanae waved at her.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Ren sat in the hard plastic chair and flipped through a magazine, glancing around occasionally. He had ben waiting for at least an hour and a half, and most of it had been spent with Kyoko by his side, leaning on his shoulder, and ten minutes after she left he already missed the feel of her under his arm.

It was another thirty minutes before the doctor appeared and motioned him back. Irrational fear gripped his heart and he hurried over to the man. "Is she okay?" He asked softly.

"She's fine." The doctor smiled softly. "There was no permanent damage, and she should have no trouble getting pregnant again." Ren sighed in relief, smiling softly as a weight lifted from his heart. "She seems to have regained all of her memories, as you have probably noticed. There doesn't seem to be any brain damage. Do you have any concerns that you'd like to ask about?" They were almost back to the room where she was waiting and Ren paused.

"She's hoping that she can go back to work soon. Is she recovered enough?" The doctor thought for a moment.

"As long it is nothing strenuous for a while, she should be fine. Maybe starts with a few hours at a time, and make sure she's able to rest any time she needs it, but she should be able to work back up to her normal schedule after a weeks or so." Ren nodded as the doctor turned the door handle, revealing his fiancée sitting in one of the chairs, waiting patiently. Ren strolled over to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her cheek.

"Ready to go home?" She nodded, taking his hand and following him out, thanking the doctor as they left.

Kyoko followed Ren into the apartment, hands still interlinked. She started to let go but Ren retained his grasp on her hand. "Ren? I'm going to make dinner." He grinned but didn't let go, tugging her over toward the couch. She followed in confusion until he sat down and pulled her onto his lap, pressing his lips against hers. For the last two days, he had kept her in his sight at all times, but had been hesitant to do anything more than hold her hand, but he couldn't stop himself anymore. The doctor words had been like a breath of fresh air and he had barely been able to stop himself in the doctor's office.

'She's okay. I didn't lose her. She's back and she's mine.' He moaned softly as she slipped her tongue into his mouth, then lifted her up and pulled her closer, her knees by his hips as she pressed against him. "I love you." He pulled away for just a second, needing to tell her. She smiled softly, touching her nose to his.

"I love you too." She whispered.

Pain. It was hidden behind the joy and love in her eyes, but it was still there. He brought his hand up and touched her cheek, sure that his eyes mirrored hers. When he thought of the baby they could have had, he felt like his heart would give out from the pain. It was like a part of him had died. He smiled softly when she covered his hand with hers. 'It will never stop hurting.' He realized. 'But it will be okay.' He wrapped his arms around her again, standing and picking her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her into the bedroom, his lips against hers. Kicking the door shut, he turned off the light and lay her on the bed, climbing over her and kissing her again.

"I'm home!" The call echoed through the house as Ren shut the door. Frowning when there was no reply, he slipped off his shoes and stepped into the empty living room. "Kyoko?" He walked into the kitchen and looked around. It was dark and cold. "Oh wife!" He called with a half smile. Starting to turn, he frowned at the folder on the counter. "Hm." He walked over and picked it up. His name was on the cover.

Kyoko stood silently in the doorway to the kitchen, her heart pounding, watching his profile. The paper dropped from his hands when he jaw did, and she giggled softly. He spun around wide eyed, then his face broke out into a smile. She laughed and threw herself into his waiting arms, then reached up and kissed him.

"Really?" His voice was breathless, and despite the overwhelming evidence, he had to ask. She nodded with a sweet smile and he kissed her again, dropping one of his hands to cover her stomach gently, and then fell to his knees, pressing his ear to her tummy. She giggled and ran her hand through his soft hair as he turned his head and kissed her flat stomach.


End file.
